In nuclear reactors designed with passive operating systems, the laws of physics are employed to ensure that safe operation of the nuclear reactor is maintained during normal operation or even in an emergency condition without operator intervention or supervision, at least for some predefined period of time. A nuclear reactor 5 includes a reactor core 6 surrounded by a reactor vessel 2. Water 10 in the reactor vessel 2 surrounds the reactor core 6. The reactor core 6 is further located in a shroud 122 which surrounds the reactor core 6 about its sides. When the water 10 is heated by the reactor core 6 as a result of fission events, the water 10 is directed from the shroud 122 and out of a riser 124. This results in further water 10 being drawn into and heated by the reactor core 6 which draws yet more water 10 into the shroud 122. The water 10 that emerges from the riser 124 is cooled down and directed towards the annulus 123 and then returns to the bottom of the reactor vessel 2 through natural circulation. Pressurized steam 11 is produced in the reactor vessel 2 as the water 10 is heated.
A heat exchanger 135 circulates feedwater and steam in a secondary cooling system 130 in order to generate electricity with a turbine 132 and generator 134. The feedwater passes through the heat exchanger 135 and becomes super heated steam. The secondary cooling system 130 includes a condenser 136 and feedwater pump 138. The steam and feedwater in the secondary cooling system 130 are isolated from the water 10 in the reactor vessel 2, such that they are not allowed to mix or come into direct contact with each other.
The reactor vessel 2 is surrounded by a containment vessel 4. The containment vessel 4 is designed so that water or steam from the reactor vessel 2 is not allowed to escape into the surrounding environment. A steam valve 8 is provided to vent steam 11 from the reactor vessel 2 into an upper half 14 of the containment vessel 4. A submerged blowdown valve 18 is provided to release the water 10 into suppression pool 12 containing sub-cooled water.
Water 10 circulates through the reactor vessel 2 as a result of temperature and pressure differentials that develop as a result of heat generation through reactor operation and through heat exchange with the secondary cooling system 130. Accordingly, the efficiency of the circulation depends on the thermal properties of the reactor module 5 as well as its physical design and geometry. Conventional nuclear reactors include certain design features that tend to provide less than optimal coolant circulation, and must therefore rely on increased coolant volume or redundant components to ensure sufficient performance.
The present invention addresses these and other problems.